


abridgment

by listentokels



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Angst, Fluff of the soft variety, Kageyama is a BAMF, Loss, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Mention of underaged drinking, Nameless OCs Deaths, Non-Graphic Violence, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:02:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29119404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/listentokels/pseuds/listentokels
Summary: At age 14, Oikawa Tooru is old enough to know of, but not quite understand, the role he will one day inhabit as the sole son of Seijoh’s kumicho. It’s an honor, they all say, and he feels the truth in their words every time someone bows to him in the compound.An Oikage Yakuza AU
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 16
Kudos: 147





	abridgment

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [@BrittneyBabbles](https://twitter.com/BrittneyBabbles) for giving this a readthrough!

At age 14, Oikawa Tooru is old enough to know of, but not quite understand, the role he will one day inhabit as the sole son of Seijoh’s kumicho. It’s an honor, they all say, and he feels the truth in their words every time someone bows to him in the compound.

His older sister is not treated the same, although she tells him she would not want such attention and regard. She combs his hair one night, a routine from their younger years that they still adhere to when time permits. Her fingers brush against his scalp, soothing and sleep-inducing, while she tells him stories about her life outside the compound.

“I’m getting out of here, Tooru. You belong here, and you’re going to be amazing one day, but this is not where I’m meant to be,” she tells him as he drifts off to sleep.

She meant it. Tooru learns this when she comes home with a ring on her finger and an elated, glowing confession that she’s pregnant. Tooru kisses her belly, promises her that he will always be there to support her and her family.

She smiles and tells him, “If you ever need me, I’ll be back here in a heartbeat.”

But she’s going to have a baby, his little nephew, and Tooru knows she’ll be safer away from this world, leading a normal life without worrying about the organization and their businesses and enemies that come with it. It’s why he hadn’t understood the concept of having a mother until he met Hajime’s, too young to have ever missed his own. He’ll make sure they’re safe even if it means never seeing them again.

At age 14, after his sister’s wedding, Tooru holds her tightly, tears in his eyes as he says goodbye. His sister moves to America. Tooru learns what it means to lose someone starting with his sister.

At the compound, the only person outside of Tooru’s family who has never treated Tooru with reverence is his best friend, Iwaizumi Hajime. Tooru is grateful for him, grateful to have him by his side after his sister leaves. Hajime, even at a young age, has always been his rock. Tooru is sure that Hajime will be his first lieutenant one day when he takes over for his father, just like Uncle Kageyama. His father laughs at this. 

He says, “Iwaizumi Hajime will be a fine member of the organization when the time comes, but our first lieutenant has always been from our most trusted alliance, the Kageyama family. They have a son, two years younger than you, that I’m sure will grow to be your most trusted confidant in time.” 

Tooru is nothing if not stubborn, and he’s upset that his father would think that anyone could be a better first lieutenant than Hajime. Who could Tooru trust even an iota of the amount he trusts Hajime? When he finally meets Kageyama Tobio, he absolutely refuses to accept him. Tobio-chan, he dubs him condescendingly, with his wide, bright blue eyes and round cheeks. What could this kid possibly do better than Hajime?

Tobio gets dropped off with him daily after Tooru finishes his studies so they can get to know each other and bond. Tooru’s father says that he and Uncle Kageyama did the same in their youth. The kid is like an imprinted duckling, following Tooru and Hajime around and asking them how to play their games.

Tooru decides to make a new game out of it by seeing how long he can hide from Tobio every day. Some days, when Hajime isn’t too busy with his own studies, he joins in. But he’s too kind and never hides anywhere too difficult for Tobio to find him. He ends up joining in on the search for Tooru once he’s found. When this happens, Tobio always manages to find Tooru much too fast with Hajime’s help. This means Tobio loves when Hajime joins them, looks at him with stars in his eyes, which Tooru thinks is absolutely annoying because Hajime isn’t Tobio’s friend.

One day, when Hajime is busy training with his father, Tooru hides himself in the shed at the edge of the compound. It’s his secret spot, where he stashes magazines and snacks, and where he goes to hide when he doesn’t want to deal with his retainers. Even without Hajime, somehow Tobio finds him not even an hour into his reading. 

“Oikawa-sama?” Tobio calls to him through the gaps in the wooden slats. He rattles it, but it doesn’t open because Tooru has a lock on the inside for it. Tooru groans. 

“Are you okay, Oikawa-sama?” Tobio asks, voice trembling.

A wonderful idea dawns on Tooru then, and he has to suppress a cackle at his own genius. With a quiet, scared tone, Oikawa says, “Tobio-chan, I’m stuck in here. Can you try to open the door and help me out?” 

It’s quiet, so Tooru peeks through the slats to see what Tobio is doing. He’s standing there, looking at the door intensely, as if analyzing for solutions. “I-I’m going to find help,” Tobio stutters out eventually. 

Tooru rolls his eyes, and puts on a whine when he says, “No! I’m not supposed to be here so I’ll get in big trouble if you tell anyone. Can you find something to open the door?” 

Tobio looks freaked out, but Tooru sees when he puts on a brave face and yells “I’ll save you!” before running off. With Tobio off looking for who knows what, Tooru goes back to reading his magazines. Eventually, he falls asleep curled up under his soft fleece blanket. 

When he awakens, he hears the pitter patter of rain against the roof of the shed as he yawns sleepily and rubs at his eyes. As soon as he opens the door, his heart drops into his stomach. Tobio’s prone form lays crumpled next to the shed door, a crowbar clutched tightly in his hands.

“Tobio-chan, wake up!” Tooru yells, shaking his shoulder, but it’s futile. His body is burning hot even through his cold, wet clothes. Tooru runs to get help and Tobio is rushed to a hospital.

Tooru is thoroughly chastised for allowing something so life threatening to occur, and he accepts the admonishments quietly, knowing he deserves it. He’s stuck writing the Seijoh code over and over for days. During this time, he hears talk that Tobio gets better. Hajime assures him often that he’s seen the other boy around quite alive and well, but they don’t see each other again for two whole years.

At age 15, Tooru feels like he lost someone he never thought he wanted around in the first place.

When Tooru celebrates his 17th birthday, a party is held at the compound. There, Tooru sees Tobio again for the first time since the incident. The last time Tooru saw him, he had been unconscious, half dead, and ghastly pale. This older, very much alive Tobio is a sight for sore eyes, skin a very slight tan, eyes a little darker than before, a more jewel-toned blue. He’s the same Tobio-chan, but older, more filled out and prettier than Tooru had ever realized when they were younger. 

Oh, Tooru thinks, he’s gorgeous. He approaches him, a smirk plastered on his face.

“Tobio-chan!” Tooru calls out. “Long time no see!”

Tobio bows deeply, respectfully when Tooru is in front of him. “Oikawa-sama, happy birthday,” he says, tone even.

“It’s been so long! What have you been up to?” Tooru leans into his space and Tobio doesn’t move away.

“Training with my grandfather in Miyagi, sir. To serve you when the time comes.”

He’s so stiff, no longer the cute little kid that Tooru used to try to ditch at every opportunity. Tooru can’t help but think it’s his fault. He spends the night prodding at Tobio at every opportunity, getting dragged away by Hajime multiple times, but he can’t keep away.

At the end of the night, when Tobio is as serious as ever and Tooru is much too drunk for being underaged, Tooru says, “You used to be so much cuter, Tobio-chan.”

He thinks he hears an “I’m sorry” before he’s dragged away by Hajime for the final time that night.

The next six years, Tooru sees Tobio in passing as he ends up going to a nearby university for business courses, takes up studying the business of the organization under his father, and learns how to be a proper leader and kumicho. He tries to get a rise or reaction from him every time to no avail. Tobio’s expression never changes, always blank and respectful, bowing his greetings and partings. Tooru misses his smiles, misses his frowns, and even misses the stars he used to have when he looked at Hajime. 

He never stops trying to garner reactions from Tobio. Hajime looks on, shaking his head in disapproval, but Tooru thinks he looks at Tobio wistfully sometimes too.

At age 23, devastation occurs when Tooru’s father is killed in a gunfight over trade routes. Tooru ascends as kumicho, well-versed and fit for the job, but younger than he ever imagined he would be when he’s thought about taking over. 

At age 23, he feels his father’s loss profoundly, immensely, but doesn’t have time to grieve when his whole organization is depending on him to hold them together and lead them.

He assigns Hajime as his first lieutenant, to the shock of much of the organization. Uncle Kageyama is irate, storming into Tooru’s study, but Tobio steps in, says something to him, and he backs down with the pretense of countenance when in front of the other men. Tooru is grateful, for his support keeps the organization from fracturing any more than it already has.

Tooru assesses his men, watches them at the shooting range, listens to them at strategy meetings and business meetings. Tooru can see that Tobio is a cut above the rest, but he relegates him to perimeter guard duties anyway. Tobio doesn’t complain, doesn’t even flinch, when he receives his assignment. 

When they’re at the Seijoh-owned casino in Macau, Tooru looks down at him through his window up high.

“He’s a perfect guard, calm and collected in every situation,” Tooru notes to Hajime, watching the way he instructs their new, rambunctious recruits.

“He would have been a great first lieutenant too,” Hajime responds.

Tooru shakes his head, says, “Iwa-chan, don’t talk yourself out of a job!”

“I’m not. You are allowed to have another lieutenant, you know.”

They both know he’s right, but they also both know why Tooru won’t change his mind.

He watches Tobio handle incidents on the casino floor with aplomb and hears of the way he spots suspicious activity accurately, quite like a hawk. His work ethic is incredible even in such a minor role. Oikawa likes to go to the casino just to watch sometimes.

On a sunny spring day, when the cherry blossoms litter the grounds in the compound, Tooru receives word from an old colleague of his father’s. Tooru remembers him, a teddy bear of a man with a warm, rumbling laugh. He wants to set up an arms deal, a shipment of guns for his client in Russia. Tooru talks to Hajime and his men about gathering a group to meet on the wharf for the trade. They assess the area, gather intel on their prospective business partner, and Tooru sends word of his agreement to the deal.

He doesn’t expect a set up, his dad’s old colleague looking down at him on his knees with chilling eyes and a ruthless grin while men from both sides fall around them. 

“A pretty boy like you could never run an organization like Seijoh the way it should be run. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of it once you’re dead. Your trade routes will be mine,” he says, and Tooru snarls at him, even with the cold metal of a gun pressed against his forehead.

“Hajime!” he screams, when he sees the moment a bullet rips through Hajime’s stomach as he tries to approach them; when he sees them shoot one of his legs to keep him down.

Tooru pulls a knife from his boot, plunges it into the old man’s neck before he can even twitch a finger, before prying the gun from his hand. He shoots at the man approaching Hajime, shoots at as many from the opposing side as he can. Hajime is awake, yelling at him to take cover, but Tooru doesn’t listen.

He drags Hajime with him to hide behind a stack of crates, shooting at anyone who tries to come near them. Hajime doesn’t manage to stay conscious, no matter how much Tooru orders him to.

The gun runs out of bullets and Hajime’s glock is still on the ground where he had fallen originally, too far out of reach. They’re cornered, outnumbered, outgunned, and Tooru thinks he’s failed Seijoh; he’s failed all of his people. It’s a loss he can’t ever recover from, dead or alive.

He clutches at Hajime, blood coating his hands, and quietly says his apologies to him, to his father, his ancestors, and to all the people who depend on him.

Then, he hears screaming, panic and turmoil, and the thud of bodies falling, too many to be those of his men. When he gently sets Hajime down and cautiously crawls over to look around the corner, he sees the moment a familiar figure drops from the catwalk above them, guns blazing.

He watches, mesmerized, as Tobio takes out the enemy forces with the skill and expertise of a trained assassin. Tooru knew Tobio was good, but never realized it was to this extent.

When the warehouse is quiet, with the only sounds that Tooru can hear being his own breathing and Tobio’s footsteps as he approaches, Tooru reaches a hand up towards Tobio in reverence.

“Tobio,” he breathes, disbelieving.

Tobio takes a knee in front of him, hands roaming as he checks Tooru for injuries. Neither of them notice one of the fallen raising a gun and pulling the trigger.

Tooru catches Tobio, whose body jolts from the impact, pulls the gun from Tobio’s belt holster and shoots. He hits his mark, dead on the forehead.

The adrenaline wears off quickly, panic setting in as he props Tobio against a crate and checks his injury. Tobio grunts, “Oikawa-sama, I’m fine. It’s just a minor wound.”

Tooru slumps back, sighing in relief. “Tobio, you’re incredible,” he laughs.

Tooru learns that Tobio called in reinforcements that should arrive any second now. He makes Tobio apply pressure to his own wound while he checks on Hajime and any other living members in the warehouse while they wait. Tobio is silent, a gun in the hand of his injured arm, ready to move in the instance of danger even through his pain. He’s watchful as Tooru navigates his way around the warehouse.

Hajime is rushed into the ICU of their private ward and Tooru sits outside of its operating room for hours until the doctors tell him he’s in the clear. Afterwards, he makes his rounds, checks in on his injured men and stays to talk to any who are awake. When he finishes, he goes to Tobio’s room and sits with him until he awakens from his painkiller induced sleep.

“Oikawa-sama,” he says, when he opens his eyes, voice rough.

Tooru startles, looking up from his paperwork. He sets it aside on the bedside table and hands Tobio a cup of water.

When Tobio is done drinking, Tooru asks, voice quiet, eyes downcast, “I don’t understand, Tobio. Why would you risk your life to save me? Wouldn’t you be better off if I were dead?”

The answer is immediate, unhesitating, unwavering. “Never. I made a vow that I would protect you with my life.”

Tooru looks up, noting how serious Tobio’s face is. How he seems to actually mean that he’d die for Tooru when Tooru doesn’t feel like he deserves such loyalty from most people let alone the man before him.

“When did you ever vow this? Before I cruelly tricked you? That should have made the vow null and void.”

Tobio shakes his head. “No. It was after.”

“How could you possibly think me worthy of such a vow after what happened?” Tooru’s voice cracks.

Tobio takes his hand in his and Tooru let’s him, finding comfort in the contact. “We were young. You didn’t do that on purpose, even if you weren’t that nice to me, you were never cruel.”

Trembling, Tooru says, “I’m sorry. I never said I’m sorry to you, but I’ve felt it all these years. I don’t understand how you could think my life is worth more than yours after everything.”

Tobio’s hand tightens, grip firm and reassuring.

“Hajime told me about how often you asked after me after what happened. How often you watched over me later on. I figured you felt guilty, but I’ve been watching you too. You’re kind and caring to those around you, even if you have to be strict sometimes. I knew you would be a good leader.”

He takes a deep breath and continues, Tooru listening with rapt attention, in awe that Tobio’s eyes were on him too.

“My grandfather didn’t want me to come back to the compound after what happened, so I begged him to train me. Eventually, we agreed I could handle myself and I followed my father back to the compound to discuss my future. That’s when I started talking to Iwaizumi-san again.”

“How is it that I never saw you?” Tooru asks, curious.

Tobio smiles, a smile Tooru hasn’t seen in a very long time. It’s a smile Tooru hopes he will be blessed enough to see again, many times before his time comes to an end. “You were always the one hiding, so you never knew how good I could be at it.”

It draws a laugh from Tooru. Tobio continues.

“Before I ever met you and even after, I didn’t want to be your right hand man. I didn’t care about having a high position. But I saw you with the people in the compound, watched you studying for years and working hard to be the best you could possibly be. I knew that I wanted to protect you and help you, even after you overlooked me as your right hand which I’ll admit hurt. I never needed the position to protect you though. Hajime helped me. He knew I had the skills to protect you, so he let me.”

Tooru’s eyes widen. “I can’t believe him. He knew that I always assigned you to minor guard duties because I never wanted you to be hurt because of me again.”

Tobio leans over, brings a hand up to cup Oikawa’s cheek. Oikawa scoots closer when he sees Tobio try to hide a wince.

“I forgave you a long time ago, Oikawa-sama. And I am a part of Seijoh. When the organization needs me, I’ll be there,” he says, eyes searching Tooru’s own. “Let me be by your side, where we can look after each other.”

“I couldn’t even protect Hajime tonight,” Tooru says, tears falling from his eyes, heart aching from his own incompetence costing so many lives. Almost costing Hajime’s. Hurting Tobio again.

“Oikawa-sama, our intel wasn’t good. There may be a mole in our organization which we will need to weed out. None of us, not even Hajime or me, saw this coming. It’s not on you,” Tobio says, voice full of resolve, enough that Tooru thinks he can believe him.

He moves a hand up to grab Tobio’s wrist.

“Let me help you,” Tobio says. “Let me be by your side.”

Tooru leans into his touch, closes his eyes as he feels the tears trailing down his face. He feels Tobio moving closer, feels the ghost of his breath on his cheeks. He stays still, waiting.

When Tobio’s lips touch his skin, kissing away his tears, Tooru lets out a soft sigh. Tobio, sweet Tobio, was always so indifferent to Tooru from the time they met each other again that Tooru never thought for a second they could be together like this.

“Promise me, if the time comes, you won’t ever die for me,” Tooru says, opening his eyes to meet Tobio’s, whose face is much closer now.

“I can’t—“

“Tobio, please. Listen to your kumicho. Between Hajime, you, and me, we can’t die for each other when we need to live for Seijoh. That’s the only way I can have you by my side.”

Tobio purses his lips, unhappy, but Tooru knows he’s right. They almost died tonight and as the strongest of their organization, Seijoh would have been in chaos. Tooru’s first duty as kumicho is to ensure Seijoh thrives. He plans to make Hajime take this vow as well.

“I promise,” Tobio says, breathy, as if it labored him to say the words.

Tooru smiles, slides a hand behind Tobio’s neck, and pulls him closer until their lips are a hair's breadth apart.

“Good,” he says, before pressing their lips together in a kiss.

At age 26, Tooru has lost many to the nature of his business. It’s the kind of loss he never gets used to, but he learns how to compartmentalize for the sake of his organization. His reputation as a fearsome kumicho with two skilled lieutenants by his side spreads like wildfire internationally as they cut down their enemies and overtake much of the underbelly of Japan.

Tooru receives a letter from his sister for the first time in over a decade. He cries when he sees the pictures of her family, big and happy and growing still.

At age 26 and many years after, Tooru, Tobio, and Hajime break their promises countless times as the organization grows and the dangers grow with it. But they survive, keep each other alive, and Tooru thinks broken promises can be forgiven in such cases. Their strength together has built their reputation after all.

At age 26 and as he grows older, Tooru handles loss better than most. It’s been ingrained in his being from a very young age in many different forms. He takes it in stride, and makes decisions so ruthless, those outside of Seijoh call him heartless. They just don’t understand the way his heart works; don’t see the quiet moments he shares over tea with Hajime or the way Tobio and him take comfort in each other in the dark of the night.

It’s a very long time before anyone ever has to find out what happens when Tooru experiences a loss he can’t handle.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written as a threadfic but it was too long to really be one, so I ended up expanding it a little. It does have the tone of my usual threadfics though, I think lol
> 
> Anyway, feel free to follow me on [@mmshokupan](https://twitter.com/mmshokupan) where I do very rarely post threadfics. Every once in a while.


End file.
